How It ENDs
by INeverThoughtI'dSinkThisLow
Summary: One-shot. Natsu awakens in the Fairy Tail hospital, now knowing the secrets of his origin. He has a choice to make, but if Zeref dies he dies, and if he dies then that leaves the other dragon slayers to face Acnologia alone. So will Natsu say goodbye?


**Hello Readers,**

 **Thanks for letting me know about the computer error, hopefully it's all good now and you enjoy the story. :)**

 ***** Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or the cover image.

*Disclaimer: last line of monument borrowed from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer

 **How It ENDs**

Gajeel, Levy and Lily arrived back at the guild, dragging the injured Sabertooth members with them. Laxus and Erza had returned in bandages, the rest of the teams that had been sent off with them tending to their wounds. But still Natsu sat in his hospital bed, thinking over all the things Zeref- _his brother_ \- had told him. He'd lived once before, over four hundred years ago. He'd had his shot and he had died. To think he was the reason that the R-system was created. Which meant that what happened to Erza and Jellal was his… What happened at the Grand Magic Games with the Eclipse Gate… With Gray… With Tartaros… Lucy's mum… Oh god, Lucy's mum… It wasn't like he caused any of it, he knew that, but it felt like it was. All that pain and suffering is what allowed him to be here; allowed him to be alive. And the only way to protect that life was to take out Zeref, effectively ending it. All that, just to have it over. He should have taken his shot, should have stopped Happy, but he wanted to live. He wanted to live badly, smiling and laughing with everyone. Fighting with Gray, getting lectured from Erza, flying with Happy, laughing with Wendy and Charle. He wanted to babysit Asca, to live up to all Igneel's expectations, to be an S-class mage, to defeat Erza and Laxus and Gildarts. He had things he still had to do. Things he still had to say. To everyone. To Lucy. How would any of them feel about Natsu if they knew? Knew he was E.N.D. The Ultimate Demon of Zeref. Gray wants to kill E.N.D. Natsu had wanted to kill him too. But now that would mean suicide. Everyone else was just afraid of the vile, evil fire demon master of Tartaros. Technically, Natsu hadn't started Tartaros, but that whole incident had happened because they were trying to resurrect E.N.D. Natsu didn't think he was evil. But he was starting to wonder if it was okay for him to be there. Zeref was cursed for trying to bring him back. So clearly he wasn't meant to be alive. It wasn't fair to everyone that died from that curse that he was here. And what other way could there be? But what could he do now? Igneel's power was gone. He pulled the book from beneath his coat, he'd managed to grab it from Zeref. He was surprised no one had taken it, but he figured that was Happy's doing. This book had his true power inside, it _was_ him. How ironic that Lucy liked to read so much, that she wanted to be a writer, when Natsu himself was a book. He wished she'd written it instead, maybe it would have been a nicer story. He traced the aging cover of the book, the hole in the corner matching his own painful wound. If Zeref dies, he died too. It wasn't the other way around. But it was link magic, so maybe…

The Sabertooth members limped into the infirmary, slouching down on beds. "Hey Natsu."

"Hey Sting, you okay?"

"Me? I heard you went off and attacked Zeref without help, are you okay?" he laughed lightly.

"I'm fine. Had to temporarily retreat though."

"Why?"

Natsu couldn't meet his eyes, "He… He had new information that changed things for me. But I think we need to kill him anyway. Besides, it's what he wants. His time, it's… it's long over. Actually I was wondering if I could talk to Rufus for a bit, I could use his help for a plan."

Sting gestured to a couple beds down, Natsu heading there soon after. "Hi Rufus."

"Hi Natsu, how have you been?"

"Good. I need your help. Can we talk in private?"

"Yes, of course," flustered by Natsu's request, he hobbled out to a corner away from any potential eavesdroppers. "What help can I provide?"

"There might be a way to kill Zeref, but I need something first. From you. You work with memory, right?"

He nodded, "Yes. I use Memory Make magic."

"Could you make me remember stuff from when I was a kid? If I blocked it out, could you bring it back?"

"Theoretically, yes. But I could only look at where the memories should be, I won't see them or know what I'm looking for," he tried to explain that it wasn't as simple as he thought it was.

"That's fine. Can you do it now?"

"What? Why?"

"I… er… my parents… before Igneel… they knew something about Zeref's curse. Something Zeref said reminded me. I just need those memories back. I need concrete evidence before I try what I'm thinking. So will you help me?"

Rufus nodded, placing his hands on Natsu's head, chanting his spell. Natsu gritted his teeth in pain, memories of Zeref flooded in, the time before Igneel, even his time as a full-fledged demon. And then the time before with his biological parents: the Dragneels. He remembered everything.

He knew what he had to do.

A little while later the guild gathered together in the main hall, regrouping and redevising a strategy. "What are we going to do?" exclaimed Levy, holding the heavily injured Gajeel.

"I have a plan," Natsu stood, "I know how we can kill Zeref."

Mavis stood, "How? How do you know this?"

"I remembered something from before I was with Igneel, my parents had a way. And I'm going to need all of you," Natsu's hand fisted, squeezing tightly. Lucy looked on, relieved, Natsu always managed to save the day. "First Master, could you convert everyone's energy and focus it on to an object?"

"Yes. That's possible."

"And Bixlow, if there's link magic between two souls, could you reverse it?"

"With a power-up like the guild, maybe, but gateways and links aren't really my thing."

Natsu nodded, "With Lucy's power to help, could you reverse the link?"

Bixlow laughed, tongue out in glee, "It'll be a piece of cake."

Gray frowned, "What are you on about?"

"The book of E.N.D. If Zeref dies, all of demons die with him. We use the book and reverse the link between them so if E.N.D. dies, using your demon slayer magic, then Zeref will die too."

"Seriously?! That's two birds with one stone. Except we don't have the book Flame Brain."

Natsu pulled the book from inside his shirt, putting it on the table, "Yes, we do. I got it off Zeref before."

Mirajane frowned, "You seem different Natsu."

"Yeah, Zeref did a number on me. My magic will be useless for this spell, I'll keep watch."

Happy was getting teary, looking panicked, "N- Natsu…"

"Don't worry Happy, this will work. Fairy Tail will be safe." Gray picked up the book- it was open. He looked up at Natsu questioningly. "Zeref, he opened it."

"So E.N.D. is awake?!"

"Yeah, but he's not here, we have time. Trust me. I got Rufus to help me remember what I knew. This will work. We finish Zeref and E.N.D. in one go, then the only threat will be Acnologia." He grinned, carefree as always, until his face fell, suddenly seriously once more. "But we don't have much time."

Mavis nodded, "Everybody in a circle around the book, we're beginning this spell now!"

Fairy Tail and the Sabertooth members joined hands as Natsu went to move outside. "Natsu!" Happy exclaimed, his little legs running after his friend.

Natsu crouched down, hugging Happy, passing him a little note. "Don't worry Happy, I'll call if I need any help."

Natsu left the guild, turning back and smiling before the doors shut on him for the last time. Happy's shaking paws opened the note, careful not to let anybody see. The tears blurring his vision as he read Natsu's note.

 _Sorry to burden you but don't tell them anything._

 _This has to happen, it's the only way._

 _But I want to die as Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail, not as anything else._

 _I'm going to kill Acnologia before they finish the spell, or at least weaken him._

 _Look after the guild for me._

 _Thank you for everything partner._

Happy swallowed thickly, wiping away tears, he crumpled the paper, tucking it away. He returned to the group circle, putting paws in Lucy's and Erza's hands. He would keep his promise, he'd look after everyone, and he'd never say a word.

Natsu continued his long, lonely walk down the streets of Magnolia. He stopped in front of Lucy's apartment, seemed that Spriggan chick Brandish had put it back to normal size. He walked inside, fingers brushing against the desk Lucy wrote her stories on, then across the bed's covers, the ghost of warmth stealing into his fingertips from where he and Lucy had slept the night before. Why had he not taken her with him when he went away for that year? He was such an idiot. He loved this apartment, it smelled like her. He sighed, breathing in the scent as he folded his scarf, leaving it on her bed, the note he'd written on top. The tears threatened to erupt from his eyes, his resolve wavering. He looked out the window, seeing the beautiful clear sky, and jumped out, just like it was any other day.

Natsu found himself on the empty field on the outskirts of Magnolia, mountains and hills surrounding him, and a man in front of him. He had long white hair, dark skin and blue tattoos across his body. Natsu smirked at the missing arm, he had promised to finish the rest of him off, and that's exactly what he was about to do. "Hello Acnologia."

There was only a silent scowl.

Nastu grinned, "You really should say hello to the person about to kill you."

"You smell like Igneel."

"Igneel was my father."

"Then you'll see him soon." Natsu let the demon wash over him, the magic of his fire tattooing itself on his skin, wings of deep red erupting from his back, ripping through his skin. The long black horns grew painfully from his head, and his eyes aglow with Igneel's power. Acnologia growled, now taking a fighting stance. "E.N.D."

Natsu lunged at Acnologia, his demonic dragon talons enveloped flame. The earth was set ablaze as Natsu and Acnologia began a battle that would shake the very foundations of the earth.

Lucy and Bixlow were sweating, the link between the book and Zeref was strong and impossible to break. Manipulating it was the most strenuous thing they'd ever done, even with Mavis converting the magic of both the Fairy Tail and Sabertooth guilds into her energy, it was still making their bones creak in effort. A little blood trickled from Lucy's nose as she forced the link's gate to open, she could feel the soul's being manipulated by Bixlow who was screaming out in determination. The hands of everyone were clenched tightly together, white and sweaty. It was working. They were actually doing it. There was this deep, dark horrible feeling in Lucy's gut. Something that told her to turn back. It was a terrible sensation, creeping up her spine and twisting in her heart. Like if she did this something more devastating would happen, something horrific. It must be the black magic of E.N.D. and Zeref, that was only explanation that made sense. Lucy ignored the feeling and continued. She would help destroy E.N.D. and Zeref and then finally they could be safe, finally she could get the words out. She could finally tell Natsu.

Natsu felt the effects of the spell working as he and Acnologia clashed, his body was battered. His left arm was broken and he was covered in blood from giant cuts through is body from the near miss of a huge black claw. He flew in the skies, fighting the black dragon of the Apocalypse. It was nothing like Tenrou, he was nothing like he had been. Now he knew, and none of his power was locked away. He was stronger than Acnologia; he could do this. He wished he'd had time to fight Gray and Erza and Laxus. Not to mention Gildarts and Gramps. But if he beat Acnologia then I guess that meant he'd beaten them anyway, it just wasn't the same. Acnologia prepped a breath attack, Natsu mimicking to match the power. To roiling streams of energy, one pure white, the other angry flames, collided. The impact's boom cleared the sky of clouds, shattering the earth below, and the sound of the great explosion could be heard across Fiore. Any houses near the edge of Magnolia were singed black and vision faded to reveal the swirling white as it stole the space in the sky.

Zeref gazed into the sky, the white and red tainting the empty blue. "Natsu…"

Natsu saw his moment, letting the red scales of his dragon force fuse with his etherious form. This was the moment. The dragon battle cry was the last noise Acnologia ever heard. And the false dragon king fell.

Gray's body was almost completely black with his slayer marks, hair raised, and eye red. The temperature in the room was severely lowered and the guild members shivered under the weight of the demon slayer's touch. Lucy and Bixlow were in pain, a lot of it. But then the book of E.N.D. started glowing. Lucy and Bixlow nodded, "It's working!"

"Gray!" The mages changed their focus, now directing the energy to Gray. He could feel E.N.D.'s energy. More power… he needed more power… The energy built. He could feel Erza, Lyon, Sting, Rogue, Wendy, Mavis… he could feel everyone. Dad, Mum, Ur, Ultear… this was the moment he would make all that pain mean something. And after he'd settle things with Natsu. And with Juvia. They could all go back to normal, to being happy again, having adventures with everyone. Back to Fairy Tail.

Natsu stood on the scorched earth, the sky clear and blue once more. The charred remains of Acnologia lay in pieces, reforming the landscape into a demented graveyard, flames cursing the surrounding, spitting sparks as the ash raised into the air. "You've actually surpassed Acnologia. I suppose that makes you the new Dragon King then doesn't it?"

"Hello Zeref." Natsu turned to his brother, the last two Dragneels, facing each other for last time. "A lot of bad things happened to my friends because of everything you did to bring me back. But thank you. Because of you I got to meet Igneel. Because of you I got to be in Fairy Tail. Now that I think about it, you're part of the reason Fairy Tail was formed in the first place. I got to meet Gray and Erza, Wendy, Happy, Gramps… I got to meet Lucy."

Zeref raised his eyebrows, "The blonde celestial girl? You love her?"

"Yeah, I do."

He laughed softly, "I guess the Dragneel brothers have a thing for blondes hundreds of years younger than us."

"Don't make it weird," Natsu whined. Trying not to smile, it felt like old times, like they were actually brothers again.

Zeref smiled, "You've found a way, haven't you?"

Natsu felt the sharp pain spread throughout his being, it was cold. Ice magic eating away at each vein and muscle like a parasite. Gray had killed him. He'd gotten his wish of destroying E.N.D. and could finally move forward. Especially since he'd be moving forward with Juvia; that made Natsu feel better. His body began to turn to dust, falling away and drifting off with the rest of the ash. Zeref was disappearing the same way. He gazed down at himself, smiling and crying in relief. Natsu sighed in relief; it really was working. He turned his head, staring silently into the endless blue. He raised his ashen hand, pointing to the sky.

 _No matter where you are, no matter how far, I will always be looking your way…_

The book had turned to dust in front of them and everyone collapsed from the effort. It was over. It was finally over. Gray grinned, the black fading from his skin, "Hey Natsu! We did it! You can come back in now! We won!"

Everyone smiled, waiting for the happy return of the dragon slayer. Instead the door stayed closed and the silence was deafening. Tension returned to the room.

"Oi! Natsu!"

Lucy frowned, "I'll go looking for him, he's probably just wondering around or something." Despite her words Lucy dashed out the doors, running through the streets, calling Natsu's name. She thought he might have run into someone from Zeref's army, if it was a Spriggan he might be having trouble. She ended up at her apartment, she ran upstairs incase he went inside. She burst through the door, huffing from exhaustion. He wasn't here; it was empty, except… The scaly white scarf was folded neatly on her bed, a piece of paper on top. Lucy walked over, holding the scarf, it smelled like him, still warm from being around his neck. But why did he leave it here? It was his most prized possession, the last piece of Igneel he had left, so why? She picked up the note.

 _Sorry to do this again Luce._

 _I know it's selfish, but I want you to know_

 _I love you._

 _Goodbye_

Lucy stared at the piece of paper in shock, tears forming before she even realized what had happened. Her hands shook, the note creasing under her fingertips. "No… Natsu… Not again!" She sprinted back to the guild, stumbling, still clutching his scarf and the note. She burst back into the guild, any celebration stopped instantly. "N-Natsu… he…" Erza took the note out of Lucy's shaking hand. She blushed, reading the note out loud.

"Goodbye? Why would he leave?"

"I had a bad feeling when he left but I didn't… I didn't…"

Gray frowned, "Happy, do you-" he stopped short when he saw the little blue cat in tears.

"N- Natsu, h- he… he went to…" he buried his face in his little paws, "He made me promise not to tell you! I- I can't…" he sniffed uncontrollably.

"Happy, please!" Lucy bent in front of him, "Please…"

"He… he w- went to fight Acnologia."

"By himself?!"

Sting rose up, tired from all the spell work, "We're dragon slayers, we need to go help!"

"Me too!" Lucy stood, now determined to find Natsu.

Mavis nodded, "We'll all go."

The two guilds quickly made their way into the street, the slayers leading the way. "I can't smell Salamander," Gajeel muttered, "But there's his fire, he's over here!" He pointed in the distance to the flaming mountain and everyone ran his way, ready to fight by Natsu's side.

They reached the top to the field and stopped in their tracks. They looked in shock at the ruins of Acnologia. The dragon was bloody, charred and scattered in giant pieces, the empty dead eye of the head staring back at the group. Acnologia was defeated and dead. Lucy's face broke into a smile; he won. "Natsu! Natsu where are you?!" she ran into the ruined land, searching around. Waiting for Natsu to appear, walking up them bruised but smiling. Waiting so she could run to him. Finally say the words. Finally tell him how she felt. "Natsu!"

Gajeel shook his head, "Where is he? I still can't smell him. Do you think he headed back?"

Mavis looked shocked, eyes wide and lips parted and upset. "I… I can't sense him…"

"What…?"

"I can't sense him at all… He's not here Lucy…"

"Then where is he?!" he voice became desperate, high-pitched and terrified.

"He's not anywhere…"

Lucy paled, tears becoming thick and slipping out with no sign of stopping. Every other mage had stopped everything. No one was looking. No one was moving. No one was even breathing. "No… you can't mean…"

"He's gone… Natsu's dead…"

"No! He isn't! There's no body! He's alive! You're lying!"

Mavis shook her head, "I'm so sorry… if there… I could still find him… I could still find him if there was a body left."

Lucy shook her head, sobbing, murmuring 'no' under her breath as he knees struggled to keep her standing. The others were crying all looking as shocked and disbelieving as Lucy.

Gray shook his head, "This is Natsu! Natsu couldn't just… he always pulls through! We haven't settled our fight! He's not dead! He's not!"

Master Makarov searched around the field for Natsu, tears shaking to free themselves from the confines of his eye. He held up some of Natsu's shirt, it was ripped and bloody, a sandal lying a few feet away. "Oh my son…" the Master let the tears flow, holding his head.

Lucy's lips quivered horribly until she finally gave in. Her knees buckled and she collapsed, screaming and crying. Tears stained her face in stick and salt, eyes barely able to open as she shrieked his name, clutching the scarf to her chest like she could still hold Natsu. "Come back! Come back Natsu! Please! Please come back!"

 _Years later…_

In the center of Magnolia, a monument stands tall:

 _Natsu Dragneel_

 _The Fire King Dragon Slayer_

 _Loyal Friend_

 _Beloved Son_

 _Fairy Tail Mage_

 _He saved the world_

 _A lot_


End file.
